Last week:
The Oakland Raiders were embarrassed
for the second straight game on Sunday, falling 38-24 to the Denver
Broncos at home. QB Carson Palmer threw three touchdowns and three
costly interceptions, and Denver QB Tim Tebow exploited the Oakland
defense one week after many wondered if he could be a successful
NFL quarterback.

Last game vs. Chargers:
The Raiders dominated
the Chargers for a 28-13 victory at Qualcomm Stadium in December
2010. A victory in that game could've given the Chargers control of
the AFC West. Instead they allowed Oakland to run for three
touchdowns and amass 251 rushing yards.

Player to watch: Carson Palmer, QB –
The
Raiders have lost both games since acquiring Palmer for a pair of
high draft picks. He built a successful resume in Cincinnati, where
he helped the Bengals win two division titles but has thrown six
interceptions in as many quarters with the Raiders. Palmer showed
signs in Sunday's loss to Denver that he's starting to grasp the
Raiders' offense, throwing three touchdown passes.

On offense:
The Raiders operate a run-first
attack that has been hindered by the absence of RB
Darren
McFadden (
sprained foot). It's unlikely that he'll play
Thursday, leaving the rushing duties to
Michael
Bush
and
Taiwan Jones
. Bush has been a
Charger-killer in recent games, totaling 199 yards and two
touchdowns in a pair of victories last season.

On defense:
The Raiders are competent running
the football, but not as stout at stopping it. They rank No. 29 in
rushing defense and allow an average of 139 yards per game on the
ground. They aren't much better against the pass and rank 30th in
scoring defense, giving up 27 points per game. DT
Richard
Seymour
is the most dangerous player on Oakland's
defense.

Special teams:
Oakland has the best punter in
football in Shane Lechler, and though K Sebastian Janikowski has
been recovering from a left hamstring injury he hit a 48-yard field
goal last week. KR/WR Jacoby Ford has a 101-yard kickoff return for
a touchdown to his credit.

Coaching:
Hue Jackson
is a
passionate coach who has endeared himself to Raider Nation. He has
received mixed reviews as a game manager in his first season as
head coach, but fans believe Jackson is the coach who will bring
the Raiders back to prominence.